15 Ways To Lose Weight In 15 Minutes

Healthy, sustainable weight loss is a slow process that can take weeks or months. But that doesn't mean you can’t take steps that will start boosting your success right now. After all, getting leaner is really about making lots of little choices and changes. You don’t have to wait for those decisions to come to you, though. In the time it takes you to catch up on your social feeds, you could be taking a small, but significant, step that can add up to more pounds lost. Here are 15 to try—all of which will take you less than 15 minutes. (Looking for even more ways to lose weight—and keep it off? Check out Prevention's new Younger In 8 Weeks plan. You could lose up to 25 pounds in 2 months!)

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Check your calendar.

Scan your schedule to see what’s coming up for the week. If you spot anything that might derail your weight loss—like a dinner reservation or a meeting that cuts into your workout time—make a plan for how you’ll stay on track. Maybe you can plan to wake up early to squeeze in a run, or consider reviewing the restaurant menu and pre-selecting a healthy dish to order. (These 8 ways to eat out and be healthy without annoying everyone around you can help you pull off the latter.)

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Soak up the sun.

Spending a few minutes outside before you settle in at your desk might just make those scones in the break room less tempting. As it turns out, exposure to morning sunlight is linked to lower body weight and reduced appetite, found one PLoS Onestudy. Park your car at the furthest corner of the parking lot or get off the subway a stop early to soak up some rays.

Head to Pinterest (or click over to our fantastic recipe finder) to hunt for delicious new meal and snack ideas. Take tempting fare like cupcakes and nachos out of the equation by sticking with boards that are dedicated to clean eating. We like this one and this one.

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Take a walk during lunch.

Strolling at a brisk pace for 15 minutes burns around 70 calories. Do it daily, and that’s 490 calories burned in a week—nearly the equivalent of a banana split. Hey, you just earned yourself a treat! (You don’t want to undo all of your steps, though. These 7 easy single-serve desserts can help you indulge while still staying on track.)

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Prep healthy snacks for the week.

Portion out nuts and dried fruit into individual bags, wash and slice raw veggies, or whip up a quick batch of hummus. (We like these 4 ridiculously tasty hummus recipes.) Having clean snacks ready and waiting means you never have to succumb to the vending machine or the junky leftovers in the fridge. Now that’s time well spent.

Junk food cravings don’t last long, and they’re surprisingly easy to ride out when you have something—or someone—to distract you. Plus, haven’t you been meaning to see if your pal wants to grab a coffee? (Hanging out with friends can boost your health. Here are the 8 friends every woman needs.)

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Meditate to slash stress.

When you’re trying to slim down, spending a few minutes doing nothing can be a great use of your time. Yes, you read that correctly! Calming activities like meditation thwart the production of cortisol, the stress hormone that drives you to scarf down fatty, sugary snacks. (If you’re not sure how to get started with the practice, check out these 3 quick meditations absolutely anyone can do.)

Or a rag, broom, or vacuum. Cleaning counts as legitimate exercise, people! In 15 minutes, you’ll burn around 25 calories dusting, 45 calories vacuuming, or a whopping 100 calories scrubbing the tub. To burn even more calories and make your chores feel, well, less like chores, turn on some tunes and bust a move between tasks.

Okay, quinoa technically takes about 18 minutes to make. But it’s one of the quickest cooking whole grains, a type of carb that could help you burn an extra 100 calories daily, according to Tufts University findings.

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Get in the garden.

Pulling up those annoying weeds won’t just make your yard look prettier; it’ll also burn around 60 calories in 15 minutes. Not to mention, all that squatting and standing will tone your butt and thigh muscles. Not bad, right? (And if you’re planting rather than pulling, make sure you avoid these 10 plants you should never, ever grow.)

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Buy a better sweetener.

Toss out your sugar packets, click over to Amazon, and add a bag of stevia to your cart. Research shows that, unlike refined sugar, the natural, no-calorie sweetener can help keep blood sugar levels in check, making you less susceptible to sweet cravings. (For more ways to keep your sweet tooth in check, don’t miss what these 8 nutritionists eat when they’re craving something sweet.)

If you’re only doing cardio, you’re missing an opportunity to accelerate your weight loss wins. Resistance training builds lean muscle tissue, which burns more calories and fat than not-so-lean body mass. Not sure where to start? Try a few sets of a basic move like squats, deadlifts, or tricep kickbacks.

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Tweak your social feeds.

Start following your favorite sites (ahem) or bloggers for a daily dose of wellness inspiration. And consider taking a break from people or sources that tempt you into veering off course—like your former coworker who’s always sharing pictures of her homemade desserts. Sure, they’re impressive, but you don’t need peanut butter brownies in your face every day. One study even found that looking at pictures of high-cal foods can trigger junk food cravings, so seriously, unfollow.

Well-lit spaces make people up to 24% more likely to choose healthy fare, found one Cornell University study. Swap out those dim bulbs or candles for something brighter—and see if a salad doesn’t suddenly sound better than mac and cheese for dinner. (Kick up your salad game with these 7 genius toppings).

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Go to bed earlier.

Crawl into bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you’re logging a solid 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye per evening. This way, you’ll actually be well rested come morning. Sleep deprivation can zap your motivation to exercise and drive you to eat more. In fact, one University of Chicago study found that people who are short on sleep take in around 300 more calories a day (usually in the form of high-carb fare) compared to those who logged enough snooze time. (Have trouble falling asleep once you’re between the sheets? Try these 20 ways to sleep better every night.)

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